Closer Examination

Remove the foam wrap and we get to see the keyboard in all its glory. The Aukey KM-G8 employs a black color scheme, which is different from the greenish-gray their previous keyboards we covered had. I do feel this is for the better since black will go well with everything and would also be easier/less expensive to source. That said, Aukey has actually used a metal plate here as well, which is another thing I would not have expected for a budget mechanical keyboard. This adds some flair to the keyboard when handled and looks good with a matte finish. Note also that the screws holding the plate and plastic case panel together are not visible here because they are under certain keycaps, which results in a clean look.

The KM-G8, as mentioned earlier, is a full-size 104 key ANSI layout keyboard. This would be as close to a zero-bezel keyboard as any, and in fact, when a photo is taken from an angle, the keycaps jut past the frame underneath as well. The indicator LEDs are in the top-right corner, which due to the standard layout being used also means that there is a gap in the frame here. This would have been a better spot to have the logo in my opinion, but Aukey chose to place it over the arrow-key cluster instead.

As seen above, a lot of the keycaps have secondary legends, including on the Num Pad and Fn key row. The font used is fairly aggressive to my specific taste, and I will also note that most of the legends are doubleshot while not being of the new seamless variety either. Thus, a lot of the legends will appear incomplete, but that is more a limitation of the printing process than anything else. Having said that, Aukey could have definitely done a better job with the secondary legends at the very least, with placement alongside the primary ones on a non-backlit keyboard leaving a lot of the keycap's top surface unutilized.


Not much going on at the back with functionality taking center stage here. There is the usual sticker in the middle with certification information. There are four rubber pads on the corners to help keep the keyboard from sliding around on your desk, and there are two feet at the top to help elevate the keyboard as an option, which also have rubber pads.


The non-detachable cable emerges from the middle, is shorter than usual at 4.9' long (vs. 6') and terminates in a gold-plated male USB Type-A connector. The sticker on the back also tells us that the keyboard is rated for just 200 mA at 5 VDC, so USB 2.0 is plenty enough to power it. This makes sense given there is no backlighting on the keyboard, which is where a lot of current draw comes from.


The keycaps have an OEM profile, and the various rows are thus sculpted accordingly. They have a floating design, which allows for easier cleaning and replacement. The included keycap puller works well enough, but does have the potential to scratch the sides of the keycaps when used. The keycaps themselves are ABS plastic, so expect them to develop a shine due to finger oils with use. The primary and generic secondary legends are doubleshot, as mentioned above, which means they will not wear out any sooner than the keycap material itself, but the keyboard-specific secondary legends are pad printed, and these will wear out quicker, which is a disappointment. On the plus side, the bottom row has "standard" spacing with 1.25u keycaps on either side of the space bar, making this compatible with a vast majority of aftermarket keycap sets, although you might want to leave the stock ones on until you are familiar enough with the secondary legends on board.


Here is where we begin to see some more ways Aukey has saved money, and passed it on. For starter, the KM-G8 uses Outemu Blue mechanical switches. These cost a lot less than the more familiar Cherry MK switches, and offering a single switch variant also helps. Notice the switch stem has what appears to be a well on the sides that offers some dust protection, but Aukey does not claim so, presumably owing to the gap in the middle. Instead, I found these to help guide the keycaps over the switch stem for less wobble, which in turn provides a more satisfying typing experience. There are some quality control issues here, with the injected plastic for the legends leaving behind some trace lines as seen above, although this is by no means a deal breaker as these are also easily removed. The larger keycaps use Cherry-style stabilizers, meaning it is easy to remove and install these as well, but the space bar did feel mushy here.